Marine archaeological exploration and excavation of Vijaydurg—a ...

S. TRIPATI ET AL.: VIJA YDURG NA VAL BASE
Figure II. Anchor dimension (after Galili et ul., 1994: fig. 17, with
additions to accommodate all three anchor holes). A-Maximum
height: 1.90m. B-Maximum width at lower part: 0.85 m. BI-
Maximum width at hole centre: 0.47 m. C-Maximum thickness at
lower part: 0.20 m. CI-Maximum thickness at hole centre: 0.20 m. DI,
D2, D3-Average hole diameters: 0.13, 0.19, 0.1 5 m. E-Distance from
hole to top of anchor: 0.36m. F-Distance between apex centre and
hole centre: 1.60 m. GI, G2-Distance from centre of lower hole to
anchor’s vertical axis: 0.10 m (each side). H1, H2-Distance from centre
of lower hole to anchor’s base: 0.17 m.
Similar anchors were also found on the left
side wall (Fig. 8). A further five grapnel
stone anchors were noticed behind the
dockyard. At one spot two have been
erected and one is laid on the ground
probably to prevent soil erosion (Fig. 9).
The other two anchors have been erected
at different places for use as mooring bits
for ships berthed in the dock.
About 200m SE from the dock, a tri-
angular stone anchor (Fig. 10) was found
lying on the wall (Fig. 11). Stone anchors
constitute the earliest antiquities discov-
ered in the region. Such anchors were in
use in India up to the 17th century AD,
until the advent of iron anchors. The avail-
ability of the raw material and thus reduc-
tion in the cost of manufacture facilitated
the extensive use of such anchors over a
long period. It is still not clear whether
these stone anchors were used for coastal
or oversea voyages. All the grapnels and
the triangular stone anchors found in
clusters are made of local sandstone and
fine laterite. These anchors have been uni-
Figure 12. Grapnel stone anchors noticed as lintel
on the arches of the parapet wall of the second
fortification of Vijaydurg Fort (Photo: S. N.
Bandodkar). Scale in 5 cm units.
formally chiselled on both sides and are
similar to anchors from Sindhudurg Fort
(Malwan) which belong to the Early
Historic Period (Sila et al., 1997).
A further eight grapnel stone anchors
were noticed for the first time on the arches
of the parapet wall of the second fortifica-
tion of Vijaydurg Fort (Fig. 12). These
anchors have been used as lintels of arches
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